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Behavioral Threat Assessment & Management

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Lone Star College Police Department is committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment for its students, staff, and community members. The department’s Behavioral Threat Assessment Unit (BTAU) exists to identify, assess, prevent, and manage acts of targeted violence by employing a proactive, objective, multidisciplinary, evidence-based approach. The BTAU also seeks to identify and offer available resources for everyone involved or impacted.

The campus community is responsible for actively participating in the recognition of concerning and threatening behaviors, and for reporting such behaviors to the Behavioral Threat Assessment Unit. The information provided below can help guide you to identify observable behaviors or circumstances that indicate someone needs assistance, is at risk of disrupting the educational environment of others or may pose a risk of violence.

It is not always possible to know the significance of any single behavior taken out of context, therefore it is important not to dismiss something of concern, but rather report it. While any one of the behaviors alone are not sufficient to draw a conclusion, these behaviors, especially when they occur in combination with other behaviors, can indicate a need for further analysis and that the individual may need help.

Click Here to Report a Threat or Concerning Behaviors

Click the items below to view a list of risk factors that may indicate developing concerns. We ask that you report knowledge or observation of individuals exhibiting any of these factors/behaviors to the BTAU so that we may assess the situation and provide what assistance and support may be needed.

What to Report

Motives for Violence: Evidence of a felt motive to act violently as a legitimate means to address a grievance or achieve an objective, e.g., to seek revenge or justice, end pain, gain notoriety, or bring attention to or solve a problem.

Homicidal Ideas, Violent Fantasies or Preoccupation: Homicidal ideation or thoughts: preoccupation with violent themes, fantasies, weapons, or violent groups; approval of violence; identification with perpetrators of violence.

Violent Intentions and Expressed Threats: Any threats, specific plans, or expressed intentions to harm (e.g., spoken, written, electronic, symbolic).

Unauthorized Possession of Weapons: Evidence of bringing weapons to campus and/or to the workplace without proper authorization.

Pre-Attack Planning and Authorization: Any behavior that is part of the research, planning, preparation, or implementation of an attack, including increased weapons acquisition.

Entitlement and Other Negative Traits: Strong sense of entitlement and self-centeredness; very defensive, blaming of others, intolerant; “black or white” thinking; preoccupation with felt insults; holds grudges; vindictive.

Lack of Conscience and Irresponsibility: Callous disregard for or exploitation of others; lack of remorse for wrongdoing; habitual lying; habitual pattern of violating policies or laws.

Paranoia and Other Psychotic Symptoms: Persecutory or delusional beliefs or hallucinations, especially if linked to an intention to attack perceived enemies; highly elevated, grandiose mood; impulsive behavior; agitation; anger or acts of violence associated with any of the above; noncompliance with mental health treatment for any of the above.

Desperation and Suicidality: Strong feelings of hopelessness or “nothing to lose”; suicidal ideas or actions, including history of attempts; anger associated with depressed mood or suicidal feelings; noncompliance with recommended mental health treatment.

Fixation: Any behavior that indicates an increasing pathological preoccupation with a person or a cause, measured by:

  • Increasing preoccupation with the person or cause, e.g., bringing up the person/cause or continuing to discuss the person/cause when the topic is not socially relevant or appropriate.
  • Increasing negative characterization of the person or cause.
  • Increasingly strident opinion.
  • Impact on the family or associates of the person if they are aware.
  • Angry emotional undertone.

** Please note that these examples are not all-inclusive, and this information is not intended to be used as a checklist. If you are concerned about an individual, even if you cannot identify specific risk factors, please contact the Behavioral Threat Assessment Unit.

Substance Abuse: Alcohol abuse or dependence; drug abuse or dependence; anger expression and/or violence associated with alcohol or drug abuse or dependence; recent history of treatment noncompliance for drug or alcohol problems.

Loss, Personal Stressors, and Negative Coping: Observable stress, desperation, despair, or humiliation in reaction to significant loss, death, rejection, or setback (e.g., death of a family member;  breakup of a marriage or relationship; loss of status, financial resources, property, or good health; failed civil actions); generally, very poor coping ability when stressed.

Menacing Behavior: Pattern of fear-inducing harassment.

Anger Problems: Angry outbursts, “ready to explode” appearance; impulsive reactions to frustration; physical displays of anger (e.g., throwing objects, property destruction, vandalism; pattern of bullying, belligerence, intimidation; expression of anger leads to noteworthy fear in others; escalation in expressions of anger over days or weeks, or sudden absence of chronic anger).

Violence and Interpersonal Conflict: Violent behavior, especially recent, frequent, or severe; active protective orders and/or protective order violations; serial filing of often unfounded grievances.

Isolation: Active avoidance of social and intimate bonds; increasing preference for isolation.

Employee or Student Status-Related Problems: Recent or likely termination/suspension/dismissal; significant conduct, performance, employee and/or student status issues.

The Behavioral Threat Assessment Unit encourages employees to report information about individuals exhibiting any of the following behaviors:

  • Social or occupational deterioration, e.g., unexplained or unusual absences from work or school;
  • Extreme or sudden changes in behavior;
  • Resistance to change, feedback, or reasonable limits;
  • Overreaction to changes in policies or procedures;
  • Numerous conflicts with others;
  • Displays of paranoia or distrust; nonsensical or incoherent speech; or
  • Intimidating or aggressive behavior.

Stalking: Stalking behaviors; pattern of fear-inducing harassment.

Domestic/Intimate Partner Violence: History of, especially recent escalation of, partner assault, harassment, surveillance, or stalking; history of assaulting previous partners; threatening contacts with partner on campus or in the workplace.

If your report includes sexual misconduct, such as stalking, intimate partner violence, or sexual assault, you may also submit a report to the Title IX Office.

How To Submit a Report

There are two primary ways to report threats and/or concerning behavior:

  1. File a report online through our Online Reporting Form
  2. For imminent threats and emergencies, call the 24-hour LSC Police Dispatch line at 281-290-5911 or dial 5911 from any campus phone

Your report will be reviewed by the Behavioral Threat Assessment Unit. When filing a report, be sure to include all relevant information pertaining to the individual’s concerning behavior. Provide a detailed description of the incident or concerning behavior, using language that is specific, concise, and objective. If there are relevant documents to include, upload them with the report.

Click Here To Report a Threat or Concerning Behaviors

Helpful Resources

  • Employee Assistance Programs (EAP): https://www.lonestar.edu/21253.htm
  • CARE for Completion: https://www.lonestar.edu/care
  • The Helpline for Harris County residents: 713-970-7000 or 1-866-970-4770
  • The 24-Hour Crisis Line for Montgomery, Liberty, and Walker County residents: 1-800-659-6994
  • National Suicide Hotline: 9-8-8
  • Domestic Violence Support: 713-528-2121
  • Sexual Assault Hotline: 713-528-7273
  • Shelters, Cooling/Warming Centers, Rent Assistance, Utility Assistance: 2-1-1
  • Food Pantries: 832-369-9390

  • The Helpline for Harris County residents: 713-970-7000 or 1-866-970-4770
  • The 24-Hour Crisis Line for Montgomery, Liberty, and Walker County residents: 1-800-659-6994
  • National Suicide Hotline: 9-8-8
  • Domestic Violence Support: 713-528-2121
  • Sexual Assault Hotline: 713-528-7273
  • Houston Hope Line: 832-831-7337
  • NAMI Houston Warm Line: 713-970-4483
  • Shelters, Cooling/Warming Centers, Rent Assistance, Utility Assistance: 2-1-1
  • Food Pantries: 832-369-9390

1: Warning behaviors adapted from:

  • White, S. G., & Meloy, J. R. (2010). The WAVR-21: A structured professional guide for the workplace assessment of violence risk, Second edition. San Diego, CA: Specialized Training Services.
  • Meloy, J. R., Hoffman, J., Guldimann, A., & James, D. (2012). The role of warning behaviors in threat assessment: An exploration and suggested typology. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 30, 256-279.
  • Meloy, J. R., Hoffman, J., Roshdi, K., Glaz-Ocik, J., & Guldimann, A. (2014). Warning behaviors and their configurations across various domains of targeted violence. In J. R. Meloy & J. Hoffman (Eds.), International handbook of threat assessment (pp. 39-53). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

2: Virginia Tech Threat Assessment (https://threatassessment.vt.edu/do-your-part.html), and Illinois Community of Care (http://odos.illinois.edu/community-of-care/referral/#concerning-behavior)

 

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